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Cognitive dysfunction and anxious-impulsive personality traits are endophenotypes for drug dependence

Cognitive dysfunction and anxious-impulsive personality traits are endophenotypes for drug dependence
Cognitive dysfunction and anxious-impulsive personality traits are endophenotypes for drug dependence

Objective: Not everyone who takes drugs becomes addicted, but the likelihood of developing drug addiction is greater in people with a family history of drug or alcohol dependence. Relatively little is known about how genetic risk mediates the development of drug dependence. By comparing the phenotypic profile of individuals with and without a family history of addiction, the authors sought to clarify the extent to which cognitive dysfunction and personality traits are shared by family members - and therefore likely to have predated drug dependence - and which aspects are specific to drug-dependent individuals. Method: The authors assessed cognitive function and personality traits associated with drug dependence in stimulant-dependent individuals (N=50), their biological siblings without a history of drug dependence (N=50), and unrelated healthy volunteers (N=50). Results: Cognitive function was significantly impaired in the stimulant-dependent individuals across a range of domains. Deficits in executive function and response control were identified in both the stimulant-dependent individuals and in their non-drug-dependent siblings. Drug-dependent individuals and their siblings also exhibited elevated anxious-impulsive personality traits relative to healthy comparison volunteers. Conclusions: Deficits in executive function and response regulation as well as anxious-impulsive personality traits may represent endophenotypes associated with the risk of developing cocaine or amphetamine dependence. The identification of addiction endophenotypes may be useful in facilitating the rational development of therapeutic and preventive strategies.

0002-953X
926-936
Ersche, Karen D.
9c1e2839-45b6-472d-a364-fdbfb3f14064
Turton, Abigail J.
ed6ef8ee-4d77-4b9d-a6a0-e81e47bbdaa4
Chamberlain, Samuel R.
8a0e09e6-f51f-4039-9287-88debe8d8b6f
Müller, Ulrich
5389a6d4-a28e-4d4b-929f-c9542af406bd
Bullmore, Edward T.
6e0f28a8-a70c-4391-a4f4-1172cdb6fd6b
Robbins, Trevor W.
20dd57dd-dbf3-4aaa-b7ba-bb4387ffcbc7
Ersche, Karen D.
9c1e2839-45b6-472d-a364-fdbfb3f14064
Turton, Abigail J.
ed6ef8ee-4d77-4b9d-a6a0-e81e47bbdaa4
Chamberlain, Samuel R.
8a0e09e6-f51f-4039-9287-88debe8d8b6f
Müller, Ulrich
5389a6d4-a28e-4d4b-929f-c9542af406bd
Bullmore, Edward T.
6e0f28a8-a70c-4391-a4f4-1172cdb6fd6b
Robbins, Trevor W.
20dd57dd-dbf3-4aaa-b7ba-bb4387ffcbc7

Ersche, Karen D., Turton, Abigail J., Chamberlain, Samuel R., Müller, Ulrich, Bullmore, Edward T. and Robbins, Trevor W. (2012) Cognitive dysfunction and anxious-impulsive personality traits are endophenotypes for drug dependence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169 (9), 926-936. (doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11091421).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: Not everyone who takes drugs becomes addicted, but the likelihood of developing drug addiction is greater in people with a family history of drug or alcohol dependence. Relatively little is known about how genetic risk mediates the development of drug dependence. By comparing the phenotypic profile of individuals with and without a family history of addiction, the authors sought to clarify the extent to which cognitive dysfunction and personality traits are shared by family members - and therefore likely to have predated drug dependence - and which aspects are specific to drug-dependent individuals. Method: The authors assessed cognitive function and personality traits associated with drug dependence in stimulant-dependent individuals (N=50), their biological siblings without a history of drug dependence (N=50), and unrelated healthy volunteers (N=50). Results: Cognitive function was significantly impaired in the stimulant-dependent individuals across a range of domains. Deficits in executive function and response control were identified in both the stimulant-dependent individuals and in their non-drug-dependent siblings. Drug-dependent individuals and their siblings also exhibited elevated anxious-impulsive personality traits relative to healthy comparison volunteers. Conclusions: Deficits in executive function and response regulation as well as anxious-impulsive personality traits may represent endophenotypes associated with the risk of developing cocaine or amphetamine dependence. The identification of addiction endophenotypes may be useful in facilitating the rational development of therapeutic and preventive strategies.

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Published date: 1 August 2012

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 492573
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/492573
ISSN: 0002-953X
PURE UUID: 92863966-f901-4de3-af68-4f48d08fa44e
ORCID for Samuel R. Chamberlain: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7014-8121

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Date deposited: 06 Aug 2024 16:45
Last modified: 07 Aug 2024 01:59

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Contributors

Author: Karen D. Ersche
Author: Abigail J. Turton
Author: Samuel R. Chamberlain ORCID iD
Author: Ulrich Müller
Author: Edward T. Bullmore
Author: Trevor W. Robbins

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